Chapter 18 Beating the Fallen Dog_1

The catch from that boat trip was unexpectedly large, not only yielding the Treasure Fish, but also my Ze Spirit's integration level broke through 10, reaching 11.7.

Jianghuai Zeye truly is a blessed land; it demands a thorough exploration.

I've only explored less than half of the waters near Shangrao Wharf, I must find an opportunity to explore more of the map. Besides the Treasure Fish, Treasure Plants are also extremely valuable.

Liang Qu also discovered that as he grew stronger, his spirit had also improved. Perhaps before long, he would be able to command another Water Beast.

As the weather grew colder, Unable to Move became less effective, so it was necessary to find a Water Beast to take its place. With that, whether it's for catching fish or exploring deeper into the waters, it'll be helpful.

By noon, after Fatty had caught about thirty fish, Liang Qu finally rowed back to the wharf, pretending he had been fishing all night.

He still sold to the fish corral, and the person who received him was still Lin Di's younger son, Lin Songbao.

As Lin Songbao helped with the fish, he asked, "Ashui, why didn't you come to sell fish in the past few days? Did you also go to town? In my opinion, with your remarkable fishing skills, why bother trekking over ten miles? Carrying dozens of fish must be exhausting."

Liang Qu laughed, "I did go to the town, but not to sell fish. I went to learn martial arts."

"Learn martial arts?"

Lin Songbao, who was weighing the fish, was startled and looked Liang Qu up and down, his tone filled with regret, "Ah, did you spend all the money you got from selling the Treasure Fish on learning martial arts?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"You, you are being foolish!" Lin Songbao said with frustration, "Ashui, you're still too young to understand how deep the waters of martial arts training are.

Yes, the threshold to start training is only six or seven silver coins, but without several tens of silver coins to buy medicinal ingredients, you can't really make any progress.

At those three martial arts schools in Pingyang Town, every year, I don't know how many farmers and fishermen who saved for a decade enter, but what happens after they go in?

Aren't they back home empty-handed after three months, ending up as farmers or fishermen for life? Some even harm themselves training too hard, either becoming crippled or dying from it!

You should have saved those seven silver coins, and with your fishing skills, you could definitely have married a decent wife. Oh, what a shame..."

It was obvious that Lin Songbao genuinely felt sorry for him, thinking that spending money on martial arts training was a waste.

Liang Qu just scratched his head with a smile and didn't say much. He just counted the copper coins from the transaction, making sure everything was correct before he headed for home.

He didn't plan to go to the Martial Arts School for the next couple of days; after eating a Treasure Fish, he had changed quite a bit, and it wouldn't be good if people noticed something amiss.

The Tiger Fist and Crane Fist were still incomplete, but he had finished learning the Ape Fist—it was just as effective to practice it at home.

...

"Why hasn't that kid come back yet?"

Three young men were squatting at the doorway, some with straw stalks in their mouths, and others leaning against the wall, looking impatient.

"Shall we go in again and look? I bet he's definitely hidden the money at home. Who would carry so much silver around with them all the time?"

"Haven't we already searched everywhere? Damn it, we found nothing, just a few kilos of brown rice, even the mattress was old and ragged. He earned so much from the Treasure Fish, why wouldn't he spend the money?"

"Do you think he took the money to learn martial arts? Six and a half taels is about right."

"A country bumpkin thinking of getting ahead through martial arts training?"

"Some people are just dumb, unable to see the bigger picture, maybe... Hey, hey, hey, Second Brother, look, that kid over there, is that him?"

The man called Second Brother squinted his eyes, saw the figure in the distance, and not being sure, only felt that the person's aura seemed different from the one he had seen before, but the silhouette was indeed similar.

"Should be him, let's hide first, don't scare the little runt away before he gets here."

From afar, Liang Qu frowned slightly; ever since refining the Ze Spirit, his senses had sharpened, and he had already seen the three young men at the door of his home. He also noticed how they skulked about when they saw him, as if to make sure others knew they were up to no good.

Liang Qu recognized the three; they were the infamous Wang Brothers from Yixing City, not fishermen but farmers with over a dozen mu of fields on the mountain behind, following the same course of action as Scabby Zhang, but without Zhang's savagery of pushing people to the brink of death.

As they were three brothers with a strong male presence in the family, they hadn't refrained from bullying others. During the irrigation season, the brothers would stand guard at the river mouth with hoes in hand—their farm would be the first to water, and anyone trying to cut in line would certainly end up with a bloody head.

Liang Qu didn't farm, but he had heard a thing or two about them.

With such bad reputations, it was obvious what the three brothers wanted by blocking his door; seeing him sell the Treasure Fish for a good amount of silver coins had tempted them with crooked thoughts.

However, Liang Qu did not dodge. Times had changed. In the past, he had to be extremely cautious and cunning to deal with someone like Scabby Zhang, but now that his fusion with the Water Monkey had surpassed 10 points, he had gained strength. Even though he was not underwater, in addition to having trained in martial arts, the nourishment from the Treasure Fish and Treasure Plant had significantly improved his robust health.

Even if he hadn't learned the striking methods of the Three-Fist Technique, he still had the ability to resist.

In the alley, the Wang Brothers quietly waited, but after a long time, there was no sound of a door opening, which prompted them to start whispering among themselves.

"What's going on? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"

"Did that little cripple break his leg and now he walks too slowly?"

"Because I was looking for a handy tool."

"Who?"

The voice came from above their heads, startling them. Wang the eldest looked up only to see a blue brick flying towards him.

Liang Qu leaped down from the rooftop, clutching a blue brick, and flung it at Wang the eldest's face.

The blow was forceful and heavy, sending nosebleed and broken teeth spraying, with the blue brick splitting in half on impact.

"And you!"

With his hands swinging left and right, he delivered a brick to the dazed Wang the second's forehead, cracking it open on the spot.

The on-looking Wang the third was dumbfounded as he saw both of his older brothers lying on the ground and said with bravado yet inwardly fearful, "Liang... Liang Qu, why are you hitting my elder brothers?"

"Despicable wretch deserving of a beating! I hit because I want to hit!"

Liang Qu approached Wang the third with half a brick in each hand, striking at him.

Fighting is all about momentum!

Liang Qu's presence was intimidating, and Wang the third, not daring to resist, scrambled on all fours and fled the alley.

Seeing this, Liang Qu hurled a broken brick, hitting Wang the third in the lower back.

Wang the third's shoulder went limp, and he nearly landed headfirst on the ground. Despite the pain in his back, he continued to crawl to escape the alley.

Liang Qu didn't bother to pursue him any further but turned back to the alley and began to punch and kick the two lying on the ground.

"You unfathered, untaught scum, worse than pigs and dogs!"

Wang the eldest tried to fight back but Liang Qu violently forced him down with one hand. He couldn't understand how Liang Qu had such immense strength; his head knocked against the wall, nearly vomiting blood.

Liang Qu kicked Wang the second, who attempted to flee, back into place, grabbed Wang the eldest by the head with his left hand, and slapped his face repeatedly with his right.

The two could only wail as they were beaten, blood flowing all over them, their crotches wet, making Liang Qu feel disgusted, hardly finding a place to continue kicking.

"Get out, all of you, scram!"

Moaning, Wang the eldest and Wang the second heard this as if granted a pardon, crawling out of the alley and staggering away, supporting each other against the wall.

Liang Qu's face was ice cold. If it weren't for the fact that killing someone here would compel him to deal with the body and might attract the attention of the authorities, he would have been more ruthless.

Those bastards, only a waste of rice and grain while alive.

By then, quite a few people had gathered outside the alley, drawn by the sounds of the fight. However, since the Wang Brothers had a bad reputation, the onlookers were not frightened but instead cheered on the action.

"Ashui, you're only sixteen, right? How did you become so skilled?"

"Not just yet, I remember he's fifteen, turning sixteen after the new year, truly remarkable."

"Yeah, I saw those two brothers peed themselves, hahaha!"

Liang Qu took a moment to catch his breath and then composed himself and said, "Just so you all know, I'm formidable because I went to learn martial arts. Martial Artist Hu from the Martial Arts School said I have an extraordinary physique, a martial arts prodigy that comes once in a century! Dealing with a few rascals is naturally not a problem!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd reacted in various ways.

Learn martial arts?